Results tagged “Donte Moncrief”

The Ole Miss men's basketball team opened SEC play, while the Ole Miss women's basketball team continued SEC play, as we enter the heart of college basketball season. Over the weekend, the men's and women's teams posted wire-to-wire wins on back-to-back days. After the conclusion of NFL Divisional Round, the Rebels are guaranteed to have a representative in Super Bowl XLIX. Here are some thoughts and opinions on the week that was:

- The Ole Miss men's basketball team welcomed five newcomers, including two fifth-year transfers and two junior college transfer, and it's been a process for the team learning to play together. After an up-and-down nonconference slate, the Rebels played No. 1 Kentucky to overtime on the road and then notched a wire-to-wire 65-49 win over South Carolina to open SEC play.

"With us, every player has a strength and a weakness and what I'm trying to do is have combinations to cover ourselves, and I think we're getting better at that," head coach Kennedy said.

"It's a process," junior guard Stefan Moody said. "You can't just throw a bunch of guys together and expect them to mesh automatically. It's a process. It's going to take a little while and we're figuring it out."

- Ole Miss did not get the result it wanted on the road at No. 1 Kentucky, but the Rebels played perhaps their best game of the season, and if they play like that the rest of the way, they have a chance to play meaningful basketball come March. Ole Miss shot 49 percent from the field, including 9-of-17 from 3-point range, and scored 86 points, all season highs for Kentucky opponents.

"It doesn't really get any worse than that, especially when you have a chance to beat the No. 1 team in the country," said junior guard Stefan Moody, who led the Rebels with 25 points before cramping up in overtime. "It's a part of life. You have to take it how you got it. We lost by a few points. It was a confidence booster coming into this game (against South Carolina) and in games ahead. We went toe to toe with (Kentucky). It proved we can go toe to toe with anybody."

- In case you missed it, here's a vine of a highlight-reel dunk by Aaron Jones against No. 1 Kentucky, which earned him top-play honors on Fox Sports Live. (H/T @ColeMissSports)

- After winning 12 of its first 13 games, all in the nonconference slate, by double digits, No. 1 Kentucky has been taken to overtime in back-to-back games, first at home against Ole Miss and then on the road against Texas A&M. Speaking to the way No. 1 Kentucky played in each of the two games, Ole Miss took a better shot, and it came on the Wildcats' home floor. Against Ole Miss, Kentucky shot 42 percent from the field, including 11-of-20 from 3-point range, and went 28-of-40 from the free-throw line. Against Texas A&M, Kentucky shot 28 percent from the field, including 9-of-28 from 3-point range, and went 25-of-35 from the free-throw line.

"I told them, the standard has been changed," Kennedy said. "Through 13 games, we've seen some high points and low points. And then we went into Rupp Arena, in that environment. The only thing that bothered me about the commentary afterwards was a lot of people saying that Kentucky didn't play well. Kentucky played well. We took their best shot. My hope was that our guys saw that this is the new standard, and this is what we are capable of doing, if we take the right approach. If we take the right approach, this team has a chance."

- Watching Ole Miss on film, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin said it was easy to spot their progress through 15 games this season, pointing to the Rebels' nonconference wins over Oregon and Cincinnati, as well as the way they played Kentucky.

"They're athletic," Martin said. "They're seniors. They stay the course. They don't whine and pout. They don't roll their eyes. They play. Moody has given them an unbelievable presence to go with those other guys. Andy's got his guys playing well."

- After a 1-1 start to SEC play, the Ole Miss men has a crucial four-game stretch ahead, all against teams ranked in the RPI top 80: vs. LSU (No. 43), at Arkansas (No 14), at Georgia (No. 38) and vs. Florida (No. 79).

- With wins over Florida and Alabama this week, the Ole Miss women's basketball won back-to-back regular-season SEC games for the first time since the 2011-12, improving to 13-4 overall and 3-1 in SEC play. The 13-4 start is the best since the 2006-07 season, when the Rebels finished 24-11 and made a run to the Elite Eight.

- "We said before the SEC started, when we were 10-3, that five more wins gets us to the WNIT," head coach Matt Insell said. "We said eight more wins gets us to the NCAA Tournament. I asked them what they wanted, and they said they wanted the NCAA Tournament, so they're fighting every day to get to that eight-win mark because when you get to that eight-win mark in this league in women's basketball, I can't name a team that didn't make the NCAA Tournament after getting eight wins in this league."

- One of the"next four teams" out in the first Bracketology projection from ESPN.com women's basketball Bracketologist Charlie Creme, the Ole Miss women also have a crucial stretch ahead, starting with a home game against No. 19 Georgia on Thursday, followed by a road game at No. 8 Texas A&M, followed by a rivalry game at home against No. 14 Mississippi State.

"Georgia is coming in here, and they're ranked in the top 20 in the country, and you get a chance to get them on your home court, and you get a chance when you have a lot of momentum going within your team and your team is playing well," Insell said. "It's a huge game. If we want to get to the NCAA Tournament, we have to win a couple of those games. This week, we have a chance to play two teams this week to see where we're at and see where we're going."

- The Ole Miss men's tennis team netted a big win off the court with Nik Scholtz's Twitter announcement that he would return for his senior season. The Rebels began the 2015 season this past weekend with singles and doubles matches at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational. They play their first dual match of the season on Friday at UCF, before starting play at the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Saturday, Jan. 24.

- Five former Ole Miss football players have been invited to play in college football postseason all-star games, headlined by Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt, who will play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24. Serderius Bryant played in the Medal of Honor Bowl this past weekend, totaling three tackles and two tackles for loss.

- With Brandon Bolden (New England Patriots) and Donte Moncrief (Indianapolis Colts) both advancing to the AFC Championship, Ole Miss is guaranteed to have a former player in Super Bowl XLIX. It will be the 20th Super Bowl featuring a former Ole Miss player, and whether it's Bolden or Moncrief, Ole Miss have its 23rd different former player participate in a Super Bowl.

With final exam week on the Ole Miss campus, there was not much game action, but there's still plenty to talk about, as Ole Miss finalized salary increases for head football coach Hugh Freeze and his staff, and the football team moved one week closer to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Here are some thoughts and opinions on the week that was:

- Freeze's new $4.3 million base salary is tied for third among Southeastern Conference head coaches and tied for seventh nationally. It increases to $5 million if the Rebels advance to the SEC Championship Game, which would be tied for second among SEC coaches and tied for tied fourth nationally.

- Also, as part of the same release, Ole Miss announced it will unveil plans, including visuals and timelines, for the expansion of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Monday, so stayed tuned for those.

- The first-ever two-time winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, Deterrian Shackelford was honored for his community service and off-the-field contributions, winning the Wuerffel Trophy and being elected the AFCA Good Works Team Captain.

- The Ole Miss men's basketball team moved to 6-3 on the season, suffering its third home loss in five such games this season. The Rebels led by as many as 17, and as many as 16 in the second half, but they were unable to overcome a second-half rally from Western Kentucky in an 81-74 loss Saturday.

"It's unacceptable, quite frankly," head coach Andy Kennedy said. "It's unacceptable for me, it's unacceptable for our team. I've tried and tried and tried to infuse pride. It's hard to infuse that, I have learned. We have really tried everything we could to get them to understand the importance of protecting home floor because it's so difficult to win on the road."

- As many others noted, preseason All-SEC first team selection Jarvis Summers was held to single-digit scoring for the fourth straight game against WKU. In each of the Rebels' three losses this season, he has scored just eight points.

"Basically, just got to do what I've got to do," Summers said. "I can't make no excuses. I have to get in some rhythm. It's frustrating. I can't pout. I can't cry about it. I have to continue to put the work in."

- On the positive side, Stefan Moody led the Rebels in scoring for the fourth straight game, which has included 26 points against Cincinnati, 22 against Oregon, and most recently, 25 against WKU. He's averaging 21.3 points and has gone 14-of-27 from 3-point range during the four-game stretch.

- The Ole Miss women's basketball team rebounded from back-to-back losses with perhaps its most complete performance of the season, cruising to an 88-48 win over South Alabama on Sunday. With the win, the Rebels have a chance to go 10-3 for its best non-conference record since the 2011-12 season.

- In the win over South Alabama, five players scored in double figures and the Rebels shot a season-best 53.2 percent from the field. Defensively, Ole Miss forced 31 turnovers and held South Alabama to 29.5 percent shooting, including just four made field goals and 14 points in the second half.

- Not Ole Miss related, but if you haven't already, you should check out this Marcus Mariota Heisman tribute video from the University of Oregon Athletic Video Department. Great stuff. Mariota won the award, receiving 90.9 percent of the possible points in voting, the second-highest percentage ever.

- Ole Miss will have at least two representatives in the NFL Playoffs, as Brandon Bolden's New England Patriots and Donte Moncrief's Indianpolis Colts clinched division titles Sunday. Check out this story on Moncrief from Stephen Holder on the Indianapolis Star.

Ole Miss collected a lot of hardware over the weekend, as the football team reclaimed the Egg Bowl trophy and the men's and women's basketball returned home with regular-season tournament championship. Here are some thoughts and opinions on the week that was:

- In the face of adversity, the Ole Miss football team turned in a complete performance, highlighted by an explosive offense and suffocating defense, in a 31-17 win over No. 4 Mississippi State to cap a 9-3 regular season. Check out what everyone was saying about the Rebels' Egg Bowl win.

"I kind of look at the big picture, and I know there are people in this program who probably disagree and that's OK," head coach Freeze said. "They're entitled to that. "To be sitting here 9-3, to have beaten the No. 1 team in the nation and the No. 4 team in the nation. We lost some very difficult games in conference on the road. We have come miles and miles in three short years. Anytime you end the season with nine wins and the Egg Bowl in your possession, that's a dang good year."

-Hugh Freeze called a great game, maybe his best as the head coach at Ole Miss, getting the ball to the team's playmakers with opportunities to make big plays, as the Rebels averaged 8.6 yards per play, including seven plays that gained 30 or more yards, on the way to 532 yards of total offense.

"It was a combination of having the right play called at the right time, so part of it was the scheme," Freeze said. "The plan was good, and then the kids executed it," Freeze said.

- Bo Wallace cemented his legacy, throwing for nearly 300 yards and adding a touchdown run, all on a sprained ankle. Already the school's all-time leader in total offense, Wallace became the first Ole Miss quarterback to defeat two top-five teams since Archie Manning in 1969 and became the first quarterback to lead Ole Miss to nine regular-season wins since Eli Manning in 2003.

- Defensively, Ole Miss held Mississippi State to a season-low tying 17 points and 445 yards of total offense, nearly 67 yards below its season average. The Rebels racked up nine tackles for loss and three sacks and held Dak Prescott to 48 yards on 24 carries.

"They're pretty good," said Freeze of Mississippi State. "They're going to get some yards. They have all year. At the same time, I'm not surprised. We are the No. 1 team in the country in scoring defense. We've been stingy with giving up points in the red zone. It was great to see, but I'm not really surprised."

- Speaking of, Ole Miss finished the regular season ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (13.8), more than two points fewer than No. 2 Stanford (16.0) and gave up a nation-low 18 touchdowns, three fewer than UCF and Alabama (21).

- The home team continued its dominance in recent years, with the home team winning every meeting since 1999 except for 2003 in Starkville and 2010 in Oxford.

- On a related note, it was not quite the same as King Kobraz's "Feed Moncrief" two years ago, but Rebel Nation, particularly its students, have adopted Lil Jon's "Missisisppi Throw It Up (Remix)" and "Outta Your Mind" as their own this year, and it made for a great home field advantage.

- Ole Miss may not be a contender for the four-team playoff, but they may be a contender for a berth in a "New Year's Six" bowl, which this year includes the Fiesta, Cotton, Peach and Orange Bowls. CBS Sports' Jerry Palm projects Ole Miss to the Gator Bowl and play Iowa.

- The men's basketball team picked up two key wins, knocking off No. 23 Creighton, its first win over a ranked team since the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and Cincinnati to claim the Emerald Coast Classic Championship. The Rebels continued their strong start defensively, holding the Bearcats to a season-low 30.4 percent from the floor in a 66-54 win in the championship.

"We've posted two quality wins against teams (Creighton, Cincinnati) that are going to have good seasons," head coach Andy Kennedy told the AP. "We played just as hard tonight like we did against Creighton, but not as well. Still, this was a good win for our program to beat a team of this caliber."

- Stefan Moody turned in his best game in an Ole Miss uniform, scoring a career-high 26 points against Cincinnati to earn tournament MVP honors. If he keeps it up, he's going to be fun to watch.

"I've been telling people that he has explosive scoring ability," Kennedy said. "He carried the load for us. Good teams have good options. Tonight it was Stefan."

- The women's basketball team improved to 6-1, defeating Utah and Nevada to claim the Nugget Classic. After a road game at Western Kentucky on Thursday night, the Rebels return home for a much-anticipated matchup with No. 13 Baylor on Sunday afternoon. In case you forgot, Ole Miss played then-No. 9 Baylor to an 87-80 loss in Waco last year.

- The volleyball team made a strong final push under first-year head coach Steven McRoberts, defeating Alabama and Georgia to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive entering their regular-season finale against Texas A&M. The Rebels led 2-1 after taking the second and third sets, but the Aggies rallied to win sets four and five to take the match 3-2.

"It's tough to end it with a gut-wrenching loss," McRoberts said. "I'm thankful for this first year, that we've laid a solid foundation moving forward. Hopefully, our team is willing to put in the effort to get over that hump, so that we're celebrating at this point next year instead of being done at Thanksgiving."

- Former Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief capped the weekend with another big game, hauling in three catches for a career-high 134 yards, including touchdowns of 48 and 79 yards, his second and third career touchdowns. He and teammates T.Y. Hilton also threw up the Landshark, as they planned to do, and received the game ball after the game.

- To close, let me congratulate Metz Camfield, who has also been a part of this weekly feature, whose last day with Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations was Saturday. Starting next week, he will be the editor of CoachCal.com, so follow him over there and @MetzCamfield.

Awesome game working w/ awesome group of folks. Couldn't think of a better final day! So fortunate to have gotten to work here. #HottyToddy

In this week's edition of Observations from the Best Seat in the House, Metz Camfield and I teamed up to give you our thoughts and opinions of the week that was in Ole Miss athletics. I was able to travel with the football team to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for Saturday's SEC West showdown between Ole Miss and LSU. Here's what we have looking back on the previous week:

Austin Miller - Give a lot of credit to the Ole Miss "Landshark" defense that gave the team a chance Saturday, forcing four turnovers and limiting LSU to 10 points in four red-zone trips, but the offense couldn't take advantage of their opportunities, particularly late in the game.

"Our kids fought," head coach Hugh Freeze said. "Our defense gave us a chance to win the game, to be in the game, but we could not manage any points."

"They just wore us down and kept the ball from us," Freeze said. "We didn't have but maybe two possessions in the second quarter. They just ate the clock, and they're really good up front. That offensive line is really solid, and their backs are really good. That's the first time we've faced an offense quite like that."

AM - Defensively, LSU held Ole Miss to 107 yards of total offense in the second half, forcing five straight punts to start the half, including four three-and-outs. The Rebels finally put together some first downs on their last two drives, which ended in a turnover on downs and an interception with two seconds left.

"They were pretty good, number one," Freeze said. "They were able to stay in two-high on first and second down and stop our run game. We struggled there with (left tackle) Laremy (Tunsil) out for most of the second half, and we had to move some people around. That caused us some issues with playing younger kids, and they struggled a little bit in this environment against a really good defense."

AM - The Ole Miss defense extended two impressive streaks, having forced at least one turnover in 31 straight games and having allowed 20 or fewer points in 10 straight games. Both are the longest active streaks in the FBS.

AM - Another bright spot, in addition to the stingy, opportunistic Ole Miss defense, was the punting brilliance of Will Gleeson who landed four of his six punts inside the 10-yard line. For the season, he has landed 20 of his 38 punts inside the 20-yard line.

AM - Ole Miss played in front of a stadium-record crowd for the second straight road game (102,321), the second-largest crowd Ole Miss has ever played in front of, and it had an impact on the game. Maybe it did not a significant impact, but it had an impact nonetheless. Personally, Saturday night was as loud a stadium as I have ever heard covering Ole Miss.

AM - The history backs it up, as LSU improved to 46-3 during Saturday night home games under head coach Les Miles with the three losses coming against teams that were either ranked No. 1 at the time of the game or reached No. 1 at some point during that season.

Metz Camfield - I thought it was interesting that after the win the LSU fans rushed the field. For Ole Miss, this should come as a sign of respect and another sign of the "new normal." The football program has now gotten to a point where a win by an opposing team is so significant that its fans rush the field.

AM - Two more impressive stats that speak to LSU under Miles: The Tigers are now 21-16 when trailing at halftime, and it was their 24th fourth-quarter comeback.

AM - As Freeze noted in his postgame press conference and CBS Sports bracketology/bowls expert Jerry Palm notes here, Ole Miss remains in control of its destiny in the SEC Western Division and likely the College Football Playoff.

MC - The Rebels' dream season is still very much in tact, as Ole Miss has just one loss and a number of highly-ranked opponents still on the schedule. If Ole Miss wins out, it will represent the Western Division in the SEC Championship game and will almost be guaranteed a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoffs thanks to a number of impressive wins.

AM - Looking ahead, Ole Miss hosts Auburn in a de facto playoff game featuring one-loss teams. Two things to watch this week: An injury update from Freeze on Monday, including the status of Denzel Nkemdiche, Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Cody Prewitt and Ben Still, and the release of the first playoff committee rankings on Tuesday.

AM - The Ole Miss soccer team picked up three big points, rallying past Vanderbilt 2-1 on the road, ahead of their final regular-season match against Tennessee at 7 p.m. Thursday. Both teams will be looking to secure a spot in the 10-team SEC Tournament. It's also Senior Night for goalkeeper Kelly McCormick, the all-time wins leader for a goalkeeper at Ole Miss.

AM - Congrats to former Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief, now of the Indianapolis Colts, who hauled in seven catches for 113 yards and his first career touchdown.

Former Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 90th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was the 14th wide receiver selected in the draft. Here's his NFL.com draft profile.

"I am so excited to see our rich tradition of NFL Rebels continue with Donte," head coach Hugh Freeze said. "With this hard work and dedication, I expect him to join fellow Ole Miss greats Mike Wallace and Dexter McCluster as successful receivers at the next level. I appreciate the commitment and leadership Donte provided our program in helping lead us to back-to-back bowl wins, and I can't wait to watch him excel for the Colts."

Here's what ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay had to say after the pick was announced:

"Donte Moncrief has first-round ability, first-round talent," Kiper said. "He looks great physically. He didn't take over games. He didn't play to his measurables. He has the speed and explosiveness. He has to go out and maximize that ability. He has too much talent for a corner to neutralize him on ability. He had games where he flashed first-round ability. With those measurables, Donte Moncrief will go out and take over games on a regular basis."

"For all those guys who look at the analytics versus the tape, there's a place for both," McShay said. "The analytics are highly helpful when you're talking about overall ability. You can't take the number over what you see on the tape, but some people put more stock into Moncrief than others. This is about where he belongs. You look at his numbers. They're outrageous. Across the board, he was among the elite, if not the top performer, in everything he did at the combine. There's a lot of talent to work with."

Here's what two NFL Draft analysts had to say about former Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief one week from the start of the 2014 NFL Draft, set for May 8-10.

ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Mel Kiper, who previously slotted Moncrief to the Indianapolis Colts with 59th overall pick in his "Grade A" draft and previously projected him to the San Diego Chargers with the 57th overall pick in his "Mock Draft 4.0" mentioned Moncrief as one of the 24 biggest "freaks" in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Here's what Kiper had to say about Moncrief:

His route running needs work, but there's nothing more Moncrief can show as an athlete after running 4.40 and leaping 39.5 inches in the vertical, and he put up those numbers as a 6-2 wide receiver weighing in at 221 pounds. It's hard not to bet high on that workout.

Kiper and fellow ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay played general manager and went through a three-round mock draft Thursday night. Kiper selected Moncrief for the Minnesota Vikings with a third-round pick (72nd overall).

Here's what Kiper had to say about the pick:

At this point, the Vikings have addressed a need at QB (Bortles) and in coverage (Joyner), and Moncrief is one of the best athletes in the entire draft, with legit 4.4 speed and great leaping ability in a 6-2, 220-pound frame.

NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock held a two-hour conference call Thursday with reporters. Mayock will unveil his first -- and only -- mock draft in a one-hour special, "Mayock's 2014 Mock Draft, on Wednesday, May 7 at 8 p.m. CT on NFL Network.

Here's what Mayock had to say about Moncrief:

Moncrief is a guy who drops the ball too much and double-catches it a little too much. When I see a wide receiver with drops and double-catches, I get nervous. He has to convince team that he can be a consistent catcher of the football. He's a little bit straight-line fast. He has to learn how to run routes.

I have him late third round. The West Coast teams will like him because he can be a big, possession-type receiver who can run the slant and throw it into his body. Any of those type of teams that focus on West Coast offense would make a ton of sense for him. I'm hoping that his best football is ahead of him, and he can continue to develop the craft of playing wide receiver.

Two new mock drafts released this week has former wide receiver Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief being selected in the late second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, set for May 8-10.

NFL media analyst Bucky Brooks projects Moncrief to the San Francisco 49ers with the 56th overall pick in his latest mock draft.

"The 49ers need a speed receiver on the perimeter to open up the field for Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree," Brooks wrote. "Moncrief is a remarkable size-speed athlete, with the potential to slide into Boldin's spot when the veteran retires in a few seasons."

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, who previously slotted Moncrief to the Indianapolis Colts with the 59th overall pick in a "Grade A draft," projects him to the San Diego Chargers with the 57th overall pick in his latest mock draft.

"With the measurables of a player typically drafted much higher, Moncrief is one of the best size/speed equations in the draft, but he was inconsistent in 2013 and lands here," Kiper wrote. "San Diego isn't set at WR just because Keenan Allen had a good year. The Chargers are thin behind him."

In his latest three-round "Grade A" draft, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper slots former Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief to the Indianapolis Colts with a second-round pick (59th overall). A "Grade A" draft is less of a mock draft and more of a look at where players are valued and team needs. Instead of projecting picks, Kiper makes each pick based on who is gone and who is available.

"It's depressing that there's no first-rounder to be had in 2014 for the price of Trent Richardson, but in Moncrief I've added a potential weapon in the passing game and in Bradford I get a productive, high-energy talent at outside linebacker," Kiper wrote. "Moncrief has very good size at 6-2, 221 pounds, and offers plenty of explosiveness, too. He ran 4.40 at the combine and also jumped nearly 40 inches with his vertical. Given the recent injury history of Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks, you really can't take the weapons for granted. Moncrief has a shot to be good."

A total of 25 scouts representing 22 NFL teams were on hand at Ole Miss' annual Pro Day Monday, including former Rebel Von Hutchins, now with the Oakland Raiders organization. Donte Moncrief, who participated in the 2014 NFL Combine, did not participate in all of the drills Monday. He measured in and then ran routes and caught passes in position drills.

Pierce Burton, who started at right tackle in all 26 games of his Ole Miss career, said he made the most of his opportunity Monday. He said he ran in the 5.1 range in the 40-yard dash and benched 225 pounds 26 times.

"I'm just trying to make an NFL team," Burton said. "That's what it's all abut. I have been hearing late rounds to priority free agent, so I hopefully I held my status today."

Barry Brunetti, who played in 29 games with two starts at quarterback, went through workout drills and then participated with the running backs and receivers during position drills. He said he has heard safety, running back, slot receiver and maybe even tight end as possible positions for him at the next level.

"I had personal records in some of the tests," Brunetti said. "I didn't get a chance to throw, but I got a chance to show some of my versatility at receiver and show that I can catch the ball. I have been working at running back and some receiver, but mostly running back. That was one of my first times through at receiver. Overall, I had a good day."

Scouts from five NFL teams, as well as a coach from one -- Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell -- watched 18 players work out at Ole Miss' pro day Monday. The workouts took place indoors and on field turf.

Donte Moncrief, who participated at the NFL Scouting combine, was among the 18 players who worked out, but three others looked like they were good enough to bring to camp as free agents.

Donte Moncrief, WR: Moncrief was weighed and measured (6-foot-2 3/8, 219 pounds) and did position drills only. Scouts said that he looked very, very impressive.

Jeff Scott, RB: Scott measured in at 5-6, 165 pounds, and posted times of 4.49 and 4.47 in the 40-yard dash. He'll probably be a free agent.

Michael Marry, LB: Marry (6-2 1/4, 256 pounds) ran a 4.96 in the 40. He also posted a vertical jump of 30 inches and a broad jump of 9 feet, 4 inches. He'll be a free agent only.

Former Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief measured in Friday and went through workout drills Sunday in Indianapolis at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine. He was rated a top performer in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump. He ranked among the top three at his position in each of the three drills. The NFL Draft is May 8-10.

Since the conclusion of the 2013 football season and the Music City Bowl victory, eight Rebel seniors were invited to participate in college all-star games across the country.

Beginning on Jan. 11, Emmanuel McCray played for the National team in the Medal of Honor Bowl in Charleston, S.C. A native of Jackson, Miss., the left tackle started every game as a junior and was a part-time starter as a senior.

A week later, on Jan. 18, Ja-Mes Logan represented the Rebels in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. A wide receiver for the East team, Logan caught three passes for 23 yards. The senior from Houston, Texas finished his Ole Miss career tied for seventh in school history with 136 career catches and 12th with 1,734 receiving yards.

On the same day, Tyler Campbell, Mike Marry and Charles Sawyer played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Carson, Calif. All three played on the American team, with Marry posting four tackles and Campbell making five punts for 216 yards.

A three-year starting linebacker for the Rebels, Marry, a native of Clearwater, Fla., had 233 career tackles and finished among the SEC's active leaders with 23.0 career tackles for loss.

Campbell, from Little Rock, Ark., was a four-year starting punter for the Rebels and ranks second in school history with a career average of 44.6 yards per punt.

Sawyer, a cornerback from Miami, Fla., had 28 career passes defended and eight career interceptions while with the Rebels, placing him among the SEC's active leaders.

To finish the all-star game series, Jeff Scott, Evan Swindall and Pierce Burton played for the American team in the College All-Star Bowl on Feb. 14 in Greenville, S.C.

Scott, a native of Miami, Fla., is one of the school's all-time leaders in rushing yards (2,297), all-purpose yards (3,668), rushing touchdowns (17) and 100-yard rushing games (nine).

Swindall, the Rebels' starting center for each of his last 33 games in an Ole Miss uniform, has twice been on the Rimington Trophy's watch list, and at the conclusion of the 2013 season was recognized as Ole Miss' Most Valuable Senior by the coaching staff and honored during a ceremony by the Jackson Touchdown Club. The LaFayette, Ga., native helped the Ole Miss offense to two of its highest scoring seasons ever over the last two years.

Burton started at right tackle in all 26 games of his Rebel career. A native of Sacramento, Calif., Burton helped produce two of the top three seasons in Ole Miss history in total yardage.

These seniors, along with junior NFL Draft entrant Donte Moncrief, will hope to get selected in the upcoming NFL Draft, May 8-10, or be picked up by an NFL team as a rookie free agent. Moncrief is among 48 wide receivers invited to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend, Feb. 22-25, in Indianapolis.

The Egg Bowl returns to Thanksgiving night for the first time since 2003, which is also the last time Ole Miss won in Starkville.

Thursday's game is the 110th meeting of one of the nation's most-played rivalries and the 86th "Battle of the Golden Egg," as the two schools stated playing for the trophy in 1927. The Rebels (7-4, 3-4 SEC) look to defend the Golden Egg and improve their bowl standing, while the Bulldogs (5-6, 2-6) are playing for bowl eligibility.

"The Egg Bowl intensity is always going to be about as high as you get in a given game," head coach Hugh Freeze said. "With them having to win to a bowl like we were last year, if it's possible to ratchet it up a little more for your kids, particularly your seniors, that's something that will do it if it's possible. You don't have to have that to make this game feel emotional. But if there's anything that would make it more, it would be those factors."

"I know they're going to play hard against us," junior quarterback Bo Wallace said. "Their backs are against the wall. We know how that feels. They're in the same situation as we were last year. They're going to come out and play, so we have to be ready for them."

Keeping The Momentum

Freeze said they gained considerable momentum after last year's Egg Bowl win. That win clinched bowl eligibility and a berth in the BBVA Compass Bowl, which may have been a determining factor for several recruits in their decision.

The Rebels look to reclaim the Egg Bowl and continue to build momentum with a win Thursday night.

"I have seen it work both ways," Freeze said of the recruiting impact of winning the Egg Bowl. "There's not any recipe you can put on it. I know that it doesn't to win, and it's going to help you with some. But by the time February rolls around, there are a lot of things that have occurred, people have made decisions and relationships have been built. It's not the only factor, but it doesn't hurt, and it will help in some cases."

Wallace Feeling Better

Wallace was back at practice Monday and said he is at the end of his flu-like symptoms he suffered from in Saturday's 24-10 loss to No. 8 Missouri.

"There won't be any effect at all," Wallace said of any lasting effects. "Tomorrow, I'll be almost 100 percent almost."

Despite the fatigue and feeling awful, Wallace was was 26-of-42 for 244 yards with an interception.

"It was awful," Wallace said of Saturday. "I knew I was going to attempt to play. It was just hard to focus Saturday on what I had to do at the hotel, when I was just worried about trying to feel. I played OK. Definitely, I could have played better. It's something I'm not proud of."

Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Wallace-to-Moncrief

In last year's meeting, the Ole Miss offense exploded for 24 unanswered points in the second half to take a 41-17 lead, as the Rebels went on to win 41-24 and clinch bowl eligibility.

Wallace was 15-of-22 for 294 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. His favorite target was junior Donte Moncrief who had seven catches for a career-high 173 yards and three touchdowns.

"They're a little different than they were last year," Freeze said of Mississippi State's coverages. "They will still do some of the same stuff, but the percentages are different."

A year later, Wallace ranks third in the SEC in total offense (286.0 yards per game) and fourth in passing (264.4 ypg), while Moncrief ranks top 10 in the SEC in receiving (72.8 ypg), receptions (4.5/game) and receiving touchdowns (5).

"We showed them some looks that we didn't show earlier in the year," Wallace said of last year's meeting. "We will have a few new wrinkles in this week just like every week, and hopefully we will able to score some point on them."

Uncertainty At Quarterback For MSU

For Mississippi State, sophomore quarterback Dak Prescott ranks fifth in the SEC in total yards (251.6 yards per game) and leads the team in both passing (171.3 yards per game) and rushing (80.2 ypg).

However, Prescott has missed the last two games due to injury and is listed as the backup on this week's depth chart to freshman quarterback Damian Williams, who is 14-of-27 for 186 yards with an interception this year. Williams also scored the game-winning touchdown with a 25-yard scamper in a 24-17 win over Arkansas last week.

Senior quarterback Tyler Russell, who has started the last two games, is not listed on the depth chart, having been replaced by Williams in each game due to injury. All this uncertainty at quarterback presents a different challenge to Ole Miss this week.

"I really don't know exactly what's going on," Freeze said. "I know they have been resting Dak, and the other two have played in the last few game. I saw where Tyler left the game last weekend at the end. I don't know what the significance of that is. We have to prepare for all three I think. Fortunately, two of the three are very similar and do the same things, and the other is still similar. They are like watching us on film. They do most of the same stuff that we do. You don't like not knowing, but that's the situation we're in, so we have to prepare for all three."

The Bulldogs are averaging 438.0 yards per game, which ranks ninth in the SEC and would also break the school record of 422.0 yards per game set in 1982. Another weapon in the offense is junior wide receiver Jameon Lewis, who leads the team with 49 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns, to go along with three rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns.

"They want to run the football and then play-action pass, just like our offense does," defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. "It's an advantage for us, and both defenses, because we get to see this type of thing all the time. We have to prepare for it all."

After Ole Miss took a 20-10 lead into halftime, the momentum swung in favor of Arkansas after an interception, a touchdown-scoring drive and a defensive three-and-out to start the third quarter.

Now leading 20-17, senior quarterback Barry Brunetti converted a 3rd-and-1 from the Ole Miss 15 with a 4-yard run. Two plays later, junior quarterback Bo Wallace found senior wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan for a 75-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 27-17.

"We put it in after the first series of the second half," said Freeze of that play. "I told our guys to go over and draw one up in the dirt kind of, and that was the Ja-Mes touchdown."

"On that drive, we had to go out and put something together and at least get a field goal, or something, because we couldn't let them have any more momentum than they had already gained," Wallace said. "I was really close to not throwing it. Ja-Mes wasn't really telling me what he was going to do, but once I saw him go the next time, I just laid it up and he was able to run under it."

It turned the momentum back in favor of Ole Miss, and the Rebels went on to win 34-24 to gain bowl eligibility for the second straight year under head coach Hugh Freeze.

Wallace completed 26-of-33 passes for a career-high 407 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Wallace's 407 yards passing is the fifth-highest total by a quarterback in Ole Miss history, and it was his second career 400-yard passing game.

Behind Wallace, the Rebels finished with a season-high 419 passing yards and surpassed 500 total yards for the third straight game and the fourth time this year.

"Bo's day was phenomenal," Freeze said.

"It seems like every year we get on a roll around this time, so we have to go back in to work tomorrow and keep that going," Wallace said.

The Rebels completed passes to seven different receivers, and had two receivers with over 100 receiving yards for the first time since 2003. Junior wide receiver Donte Moncrief had a season-high seven receptions for a season-high 149 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown catch, while Logan had five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.

"I was trying to think back to the teams that I have had at other schools, and it certainly wasn't to this level," said Freeze, of the Ole Miss receiving corps. "I would venture to guess, having followed Ole Miss football for a long time, that our group can arguably be put up with the best receiving corps through its history. They're up there."

"I have said all year what I think," Wallace said. "I may have caught some flak for it. ... I want to say it, but I'm not going to say it, so we'll let that go, but I think they're great players."

No. 24 Ole Miss rallied in the second half and got to within five, 27-22, early in the fourth quarter, after Bo Wallace connected with Donte Moncrief for two touchdowns. Auburn later added a field goal with just over three minutes left, and Ole Miss had a final chance down one possession, but the comeback fell short, as the Tigers held on for a 30-22 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"It was a disappointing loss," head coach Hugh Freeze said. "I thought they were well prepared and they were a great football team, but we had out chances. And certainly, we can't give them points off turnovers like we did and we have to score touchdowns when we get the opportunity. We had the ball three times with chances to take the lead and then could not protect... There are little things that they did better than us tonight."

Quarterback Bo Wallace completed 25 of 48 passes for a season-high 336 yards with two touchdowns and two interception. It was his fourth career 300-yard passing game, which is second-most in school history behind Eli Manning. However, he was also sacked six times, including back-to-back plays on the Rebels' final offensive possession.

"We lost a lot of one-on-ones," Freeze said of protecting Wallace. "When you feel like you have to abandon the run a little bit, they certainly can tee off and that happened a lot. We certainly feel like we got beat quite a few times.

"They played a lot of man-to-man coverage just like everyone has done here lately. We had people open. We did drop some balls and made some good plays here and there, but you have got to protect. We did not protect very well."

"Anytime you give up that many sacks, it goes back to down and distance, and us being behind the chains a lot in 3rd-and-long situations," offensive line coach Matt Luke said. "I thought we had an opportunity to win the game (on the last drive), and we just didn't get it done. We got to get back to work."

On the other sideline, quarterback Nick Marshall led all players 14 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed 11 of 17 passes for 93 yards.

"He had a phenomenal first half," Freeze said of Marshall. "He is an athletic guy, and we struggled to contain him at time. I thought we did a better job in the second half on him. He is a good player, and they make you defend the entire field. They have a player back there like him that is hard to defend."

For Ole Miss, Saturday marked the third straight road game and the fourth out of the first five games of the seasons. The Rebels return home for six straight home games over the next seven weeks starting with No. 9 Texas A&M and last year's Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

"We look forward to going home," Freeze said. "The road does not get much easier but at least we will have our people behind us and pulling for us like we have experienced on the road. We will keep fighting, I know, but that's a hurting locker room right now, and it is disappointing."

Junior wide receiver Vince Sanders suffered a broken collarbone during one-on-one drills Saturday and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. Sanders started 12 games last season and finished with 39 catches (3rd on team), 504 receiving yards (2nd on team) and four touchdowns (2nd on team).

"It's certainly a blow," head coach Hugh Freeze said of Sanders' injury. "The guy knew everything we did, and he could do at a fast pace. And he had a great offseason. Hopefully, he only misses three games. We got that opening week early, so maybe he can be back for our fourth game.

"We have some good young kids, and they will get ready to play. Hopefully, we stay healthy and not lose anyone else from that spot."

Freeze said senior Ja-Mes Logan is prepared to play both outside and inside receiver. He also said they have to have four guys ready to play at outside receiver and mentioned Logan, junior Donte Moncrief, sophomore Cody Core and freshman Quincy Adeboyejo as players for that role.

"He is a smart kid out there on the football field," wide receivers coach Grant Heard said of Logan. "He can handle a lot. I can put him in any spot, and he'll know what to do. And he's' the ultimate team player, because it doesn't matter to him. He just wants to get out there and compete."

With Sanders's injury, senior Korvic Neat's role will increase in the slot, and two other receivers who will look to step up are sophomore Cody Core, who played mostly on special teams last season, and junior Collins Moore, who missed most of last season with injuries to both shoulders.

"I need Cody to be more consistent, but he knows what to do, but be more consistent making plays," Heard said. "He can be a guy that can be a big-play threat for us."

"Collins, I'm still trying to figure out and make sure he's good. He's trying to get back into the swing of things from missing spring, but he's out there and looking good. He knows how the offense runs, so he can do some things to help us, too."

The two freshmen, Adeboyejo and freshman Laquon Treadwell, Freeze said have got to get ready to play at outside and inside receiver, respectively.

"They pick things up quick," Freeze said of the freshmen. "They're quick learners. And of course, they have the skill level, which helps. I expect them to be very good players."

"They're freshmen," Heard said. "When things start going fast and get hectic, they make mistakes, but they are picking the offense really quick. And they're making plays out there, which is good to see. I think they're having fun. This offense is easy, but it's different for them. When things get hectic, they have to learn to slow it down in their minds."

NOTABLE:

Sunday was the first practice with shoulder pads.

Senior Pierce Burton was limited, so redshirt freshman Robert Conyers got some first-team reps at right tackle. Conyers is also getting reps at center behind senior Evan Swindall.

Five newcomers were among those who got reps in the back seven on the second-team defense, with freshman Tony Connor at Huskie, junior Quadarias Mireles and freshman Bobby Hill at cornerback, and sophomore Anthony Alford and freshman Derrick Jones at safety.

Freeze, on junior quarterback Bo Wallace: "We really saved him until the end of practice today, and he seemed to be fine. He wasn't complaining, or anything. We just have to take things slow."

Heard, on flexibility at wide receiver: "The good thing about this offense is once they know it, they can be put in anywhere. Ja-Mes, Donte, Cody, I can move around, and they can go in and fill that spot."

Recent Comments

How can you have five straight top 25 recruiting classes and look as bad as Ole Miss has this year. Easy lack of coaching fundamentals. Look at Mason at Vandy, nothing but 2 and 3 star recruits out of high school and he developers players that want to win. Hugh freeze has 3, 4 & 5 recruits and he expects them to win because of what they were in High School. Mr. Freeze you have not been teaching the fundamentals of football or winning in life. Mr. Freeze you have quit on your players because you have some false expectations of what they are instead of what you can develop in them. Either do your job or quit. Oh yea, please quit running your smoke and mirrors offense, everyone has figured it out. Run a physical offense that can open up holes for your running backs and then your pass attack want require 12 are 14 four and five star receivers. Mr. Freeze you have problems and you need to know that you are not smarter than the rest of the coaches in the SEC.

Not every pass can be caught. Too low, too short whatever. Not every Kelly pass is perfect. Records were broken by receivers also. But they sre not going to catch every ball thrown. The loss to Auburn was not one players fault. You win or lose as a team.

Hey I was just wandering if these are the only 2 olemiss players signing. If there are more signing please respond to me ASAP. Also wondering if neil everett will sign any autographs. Thank you very much